| From the Richmond Enquirer |
| |
| December 3, 1861 |
| |
| Stockholders Meeting of the Orange & Alexandria
Railroad |
| The 12th annual meeting of the
stockholders of the Orange & Alexandria Railroad Company was held
in Charlottesville, on Thursday, the 7th of November. |
| Henry Shackelford, Esq, of Culpeper,
presided over its deliberations. |
| John S. Barbour, Jr., was unanimously
re-elected President, and Messrs. Henry Daingerfield, Robert A.
Coghill and William D. Hart were unanimously re-elected Directors on
the part of the private stockholders. |
| Messers. Daniel F. Slaughter, T. T. Hill,
P. C. Slaughter, C. F. Suttle, J. E. Potter and W. E. Coleman were
elected as the Examining Committees. |
| From the interesting report of the
President, and the accompanying documents, we extract the following: |
| Revenue of Orange
& Alexandria Railroad Company, for the Year Ending
September 30th, 1861 |
| Passengers |
$101,180.20 |
| Freight |
109,241.77 |
| Mails, U. S. |
22,000.70 |
| Mails, C. S. |
?,108.33 |
| Express, U. S. |
6,846.95 |
| Express, C. S. |
7,071.33 |
| Other freight |
967.07 |
|
$604,025.44 |
|
| This is a gain over the receipts of the
previous year of about $150,000. |
| The working expenses of the Company are
not precisely stated, owing to the loss of some of the books and
papers of the Company; but they are estimated by the Superintendent of
the Road at thirty-seven per cent. of the receipts. |
| Present available resources of the Company in
cash, freight, express and government dues |
$224,724.52 |
| In mortgage bonds of the several issues |
691,000.00 |
| Due on individual subscription to stock of the
Company |
23,437.09 |
| The amount of debt paid during the pat year, in
cash, is |
$185,018.38 |
|
| The total temporary debt of the Company
amounts to $572,673.70, of this sum $52,759.99 is owing to northern
parties. In reference to this latter item the President says: "
As this matter will be brought to the cognizance of the Courts under
the law of Congress, the Company ought to set up its equitable right
to retain this small amount in view of the heavy losses incurred by
the war -- at least to that extent." |
| Speaking of the transportation of troops
and military stores over the road, the President says the equipment of
the road has been taxed to its utmost capacity. After describing the
damage which the Company has sustained by the seizure of their shops
and other property in Alexandria, and the loss either of possession or
use of all the road beyond Manassas Junction, the President very
appropriately says: |
| "Notwithstanding all the damage
incurred, it is some satisfaction to the stockholders of the company
to know that but for the construction and existence of this railroad,
the State could not have been defended as it has been, or its military
requirements so efficiently supplied." |
| We will add that it is difficult to
conceive how the defence of the Potomac region of Virginia could have
been made, but for the Orange & Alexandria railroad. Instead of
meeting the enemy at Bull Run, he would have penetrated much farther
before the means of staying his progress could have been procured. |
| The great demand upon the road the
President says has made the labors of its officers and employees very
severe. "The annals of Rail road operation, do not anywhere
exhibit examples of such continuous, laborious services as have been
performed for months together by the men who have run the trains to
and from Manassas Station, and transacted the business at that place.
Without a house to shelter them from the weather, or for purposes of
rest poorly supplied with necessary food, and the impossibility of
obtaining assistance for their relief -- by day and by night, they
have stood to their posts without complaint, and performed an amount
of work scarcely to be conceived as within the compass of human
efforts." |
| The President in addition to the above
general and well merited compliment, specially mentioned the General
Superintendent Mr. Vandergrift, the General Agent at Manassas, Mr.
Jas. A. Evans, and Mr. W. A. Duncan, as worthy of the highest
commendations for their efficient services. |
|